I'm leaving now, but here is a reminder
'Twill bring to you the days we walked through rain
So when you wish to feel my hand in yours
Or stroke your dripping hair-- Then kiss the rain
Though leaving now, I wish I could be with you
So when you feel o'erwhelmed with grief or pain
And long for my caress upon your face,
The rain will touch instead-- So kiss the rain
Whenever you have tho'ts of this sad parting
And salty tears your lovely cheeks do stain
To feel the tears for you I'll surely have
Do this, and I will too-- Go kiss the rain
Whenever you are longing for my presence
And times that we went strolling down the lane
I'll whisper soft endearments on the breeze
So heed the sighing wind-- And kiss the rain
If ever you should pine to hear me speaking
The thunder might burst forth with glorious main*
While drops that fall are sure to be my tears,
To feel them wet your skin-- Just kiss the rain
* Power or Force

When winter paints those frosty ferns on my windowpane
I find myself a little girl up on your lap again
In that old house, where you wove that coloured tapestry
With all the glorious memories of your life upon the sea
With weathered palm so deeply etched with every season past
You rubbed a porthole in the center of the frosted glass
Where outside in splendour lie a winter-wonderland
As halos rose above your head from a pipe bowl in your hand
And there upon a rocking chair as smoke rings filled the air
We rocked across a sea of dreams wind tangled in our hair
To lands I’d never been before we stepped upon those shores
And through your eyes I saw each one and still I wanted more
The morning passed in dreams between two pairs of eyes of green
As the world outside held its breath in a sea of snowy cream
And when the chill of winter melted from the windowpane
The whistling kettle on the stove brought us home again
You held my hand and looked at me with that twinkle in your eyes
And told me you would be my Captain 'til the day I died
So when winter paints those frosty ferns on my windowpane
I find myself a little girl up on your lap again
~~~~~
Written: Jan 15, 2011
Author: Elaine George
First Place in Brian Strand's contest: Let's See
4th Place In - Anything goes contest
In loving memory of my Dear Papa 'Captain James George'.
Authors Note:
When I was a child of three, I Went to live for a year with my Grandparents in Nova
Scotia. At that time my Grandfather was a retired Sea Captain of a Three Mast
Schooner. He had spent most of his life at sea, taking lumber and coal to New
Brunswick and various ports in the U.S. and in the winter months, would carry on to
pick-up and deliver cargo in the West Indies. Although my time with him was short,
the memories we shared have comforted me through-out the years.
~~~~~

She was a Daddy's girl
The apple of his eye
Somehow things change
as the years go by
His hugs and kisses
Vanished like the sun
He became serious
Instead of being fun
She wanted to be noticed
Purple hair and pierced nose
She started wearing black
From her head to her toes
He said he was leaving
A new family he had
He said not to worry
He'd always be her dad
She didn't shed a tear
As daddy walked away
Still pain needs expression
She cuts her skin each day
If you see her tatoo
It's a black broken heart
Printed with Daddy's Girl
Her life expressed through art
I wrote this one for Donna Jones
to answer some of the questions
she had about my Watch poem.

Beside a gilded wall of white a dainty bench is resting;
Victorian accents swirl about the ornate room, providing
An elegance, a beauty in each line and curve, attesting
To cultured tastes and upscale life, and hours spent deciding
What shapes and colors best would suit the airy, springtime feeling:
But looking closely, something there upon the bench reposes,
A lady's fan and soft kid gloves, their jumbled state revealing
What hasty movements cast them all aside when fragrant roses
Arrived in state with baby's breath, and some white note, nigh hidden
In bursting blooms of rainbow hue, by unknown hands delivered:
And having noted thus, the eye could not but roam unbidden
To she who holds the rose bouquet, to she who slightly shivered
With thoughts that youths so oft imagine, thoughts that made her giddy
And blushed her cheeks the color of the rosy dress cascading
With lacy ruffles from her shoulders, looking just as pretty
As her face, which looks for all the world like roses never fading;
Two lips like shiny cherries, or the poppies that she tends to,
Complexion like a creamy rose with hints of pink surrounding
The fragile outer curling of its leaves; brown eyes that send you
A warm, quick-spreading feeling, like the first hot sunrays bounding
Thro' seas of blue to make the greengrass grow. Now look, she's taking
The little note from out among the stems; perhaps with quiet
And careful steps the message could be read; I have to try it.
"My dearest Rose, I never could imagine so befitting
A name for one who does resemble all that man finds charming
In lovely blossoms: beauty surely, grace as they are flitting
In breezes sweet of scent, and frailty, which I find disarming;
So here's a gift no prettier and sweet than you. Sincerely,
A man that loves you more than you could know.
Quatrains of decapentasyllabic verse followed by a single line of iambic pentameter.
Written by Isaiah Zerbst. Published for the first time January 26, 2015.

My heart is set in love for thee
I sha'nt be satisfied
Until thou come along with me
The swells of life to ride
My heart is set upon thy face
So lovely, so sublime
Could I but drink thy charming grace
'Twould end my earthly time
My heart is fixed on that of thee
I find it ever true
I would thy servant gladly be
If serve I could for you
My heart is fixed upon thy voice
With silver tones and clear
To hear it oft would be my choice
Throughout my ev'ry year
My heart is set upon thy smile
Upon thy sparkling eyes
For thee I'd walk the extra mile
And comfort all thy sighs
In all, my heart is wholly placed
Within thy tender hands
To hold or break as well thou say'st
Upon life's shifting sands
~ 8.6.8.6 metre- ABAB rhyme- Iambic rhythm ~

I grieve a life that can't exist
for things that could not be
of cherished plans that upped and left
of a girl no longer me
I grieve my dreams that slumber on
that I can not wake from sleep
and as another does drift away
for it's emptiness I weep
I mourn the loss of who I was
of possibilities and more
and wave farewell to a life not had
as she walks out through the door
I sit and ache for what is not
for the girl that can't be me
of things that only might have been
for the she that can not be.
Brian Strand's contest 'A first 50 posting' (July 2011)
1st place

Princess, mommies mad at you
you chewed her favorite shoe...
I heard her say some real bad words
she tried to find you to...
I think you better hide somewhere
she says that you've been bad...
The other day you hid her socks
that made her really mad...
She says that you've been digging holes
when you go out to play...
She tripped and fell because of you
and that your gonna pay...
I know your not a real bad dog
some things you just can't touch...
Mommy wont be mad for long
we love you very much...
All Rights Reserved Jon Arno 2013

Opening the doors to
the old studio I find
A playful capriole
sprinted across my mind
Into a sashay and a glissade
I drifted back
I could hear the teachers
stick go tap.tap.tap
Once a prestigious ballet
school of great poise
Filled with music as our
slippers sounded with noise
The mirrors are cracked
and the floors dusty
Rain soaked wood left the
room smelling musty
The charm stayed behind
as if waiting for me
Spotlighting a ballerina to
The goddess of the sea
The young girl danced
flawlessly then took a bow
Then sashayed off the stage
without a moistened brow
An old battered piano
appeared across from me
Bearing red ballet shoes
like a crimson canopy
Charm embraced her while
honoring her memory
As I looked into the mirror
I saw that girl was me
Carole Cookie Arnold
2010

Boy:
I spotted something on the ground
A crumpled valentine
And when I picked it up I found
This valentine was mine
"Why won't she be my valentine?
She turned her face away
Come back and be my valentine
Oh please come back and stay."
But still she walked the path ahead
A glance she did not waste
I tossed away the heart of red
And ran to her in haste.
"Why won't you be my valentine?
Don't turn your face away
Come back and be my valentine
Oh please come back and stay."
Girl:
"I cannot be your valentine
Because my heart could break
If all my heart were bound in thine
Perhaps my heart you'd take."
Boy:
"Oh won't you be my valentine?
Your heart I'd never break
Were all your heart bound up in mine
I ne'er your heart would take."
Girl:
"So sweet you are to seek me out
So kind to understand
I did not mean to run or pout
So please accept my hand,
"Because I'll be your valentine
I'll turn no more away
Oh please do place your hand in mine
For I am here to stay."
First place entry in "Be My Valentine" contest.

“Where’s my Mommy?” Whimpered a fearful voice,
As the little blind girl cried,
She couldn’t understand why her mommy was gone
No matter how hard she tried.
It was only her third Christmas,
And Mommy was the only gift she sought.
Searching the worn-torn streets, she said,
“Oh, Mommy!” As a tender arm she caught.
A soldier girl from a foreign land
Felt a tug on her uniform sleeve,
And said as she reached down with heart and hand,
“I’ll be your Mommy this Christmas Eve.”

In dark shadows I see a fleeting glimpse,
A girl with long blonde hair and eyes of blue,
I glance again and she is gone from sight,
And I wonder if, if that girl is you.
Is it the girl, who claimed my heart as hers,
One winter’s day while dancing through the town?
The girl who showed me the meaning of love
While making me smile by acting the clown.
But I know it is mere wishes and dreams,
My cold mind knows my love cannot be there,
Now she dances with the moon and the stars,
As the gods hold her safely in their care.
Some days I feel so alone without you,
Without the love that held me close each night,
So I look into the shadows again
To see that smile and know all will be right.
Form: Sicilian Quatrains

It has been many years since his daughter was lost
If he could bring her back, he would at all costs
Ever since that day he has wandered and roamed
Turned his back on his family, and their loving home
His life on the road left him dishevelled and broke
When he thinks back to the past, it leaves him in choke
Another day on his lonesome travels
A stranger he meets and their discussions unravel
This old man he has met all mysterious and dark
Told him of times going back as far as the Ark
Tales of the Templar's and Merlin the Magician
After hearing the mans story he began to begin
"I lost my daughter a number of years ago
She drowned whilst on holiday under a still water flow
I couldn't comprehend the loss of her life
The pressure of living, I left my home and my wife"
"What would you do if your girl could be returned
Have you ever wondered if fate could be unearned
If this was possible, would you offer your life
For your daughter to return to her mother your wife"
"Remember, many years have passed her death by
For her past to be relived, there is a reply
Knights of the ages will descend from their dark
They will then strike you down, as you begin your embark"
"My life I have not lived for many a year
For me to lose mine, I gladly volunteer
I will die happy for all eternity
Knowing my daughter will grow old, as it should be"
The old man chants a script of the past
Of an ancient time when fate was cast
The power of they to be able to reverse
To balance their return, they have to reimburse
"Midnight skies will turn to purple cobalt blues
Six Templar Knights will stand and surround you
At your request they will strike you down
On the sixth stroke, you will face your death gown"
"A light will appear of which you'll travel through
But before you do, a young girl runs to you
Your daughter, in pink and red will run from the light
She'll run through your soul, as your sleep starts tonight"
The old mysterious man continues on his way
As he passes a house on a hot Summers day
In the garden there sits, a daughter and mother
Discussing the loss of her father, as they begin to recover
She tells of the day whilst on holiday years ago
My husband your father, lost under a still water flow
As we comprehend the loss of his life
Leaving behind his daughter and wife

When Taylor arrived in heaven
It seems she was missing a heart
There was a mother using it
Taylor's gift gave her a new start
Although Taylor's life has ended
Her heart is beating purposefully
Each beat a life is made more whole
A triumph born of tragedy
When young Taylor crossed the threshold
From temporary to Devine
The angels gathered around her
She knew everything would be fine
Some gifts require sacrifice
Yet her mom heard her heart still beats
One day they will be reunited
In the end death fails to defeat
Now on earth two mothers embrace
As Taylor looks down with a smile
A gift changes temporary
A fixed mom can stay for a while.
I watched a video about a families tragedy
and was moved to write this poem.
Look up Taylor's gift.

~The Rhinoceros That Roared~
The Wrinkled skin of the Rhinoceros
Steel hard, no man can penetrate
The young buck on the tourist bus
Thought if he killed one, his lovers heart he could take.
He wanted to be a macho man...
But he was just a spoilt rich boy
He took his souped up jeep out there
He roared the engine of his favorite toy.
The horn of the Rhino he wanted to win
To give to the girl he loved, as a prize
It is supposed to be an aphrodisiac
But he was in for a great big surprise.
He faced the Rhino in his souped up jeep
The Rhino looked bored, if one can, so to speak…
Pedal to the metal, head on towards the horn
The wheels spun, the earth showered, the Rhino looked forlorn.
The jeep roared at the Rhino, who opened his mouth up wide
Just as the souped up idiot hit-and he drove on right inside
The Rhino swallowed and walked away with a jaunty gate
The girl he lost, he disappeared, for them it was to late…
Tales are told in whispered voice still through out the land
They tell of a Rhino who does strange things when his temper is fanned
His eyes flash, his feet spin, a horn beeps, and more
Just don’t get in front of him, because you can hear an engine roar…

black sky chill runs to the bone
as I shudder from the pain
fitful sleep in bed alone
a face without a name
a vision soft in morning's light
the memory soon forsaken
the one I want to hold so tight
is gone when I awaken.

This may sound a little bizarre
But listen to my tale of love
A tale so rare, so tender, so sweet
Transcends all others above
Way back in nineteen-fifty-seven
Sweet Linda and I were married
Our flower girl was her eight year old sister
A bouquet of roses she carried
Linda and I enjoyed many great years
Till tragedy struck in ninety-eight
Contracting a very rare form of cancer
A disease that sealed her fate
Sadly she passed away early next year
Losing her courageous fight
Gave her blessing to our flower girl and me
Her dying wish... we would unite
Never guessing two years down the road
Our lives would again collide
Flower girl Cathie so demure and sweet
Walked down the aisle as my bride
@Jack Ellison 2012

To you alone
My heart is sold
As the days go
Your beauty grows
As time flies by
i have to sigh
When you walk by
And catch my eye
I cannot think
Or even blink
As it may seem
Only a dream
To you alone
I have to sigh
And just walk by
Your beauties glow

A cute little girl enters the pet store
“What can I do for you?” Asked the store clerk
The little girl was missing some front teeth,
“A bunny wabbit”, she said with a smirk
We have lots bunnies’ right over here
How about that pretty fluffy white one?
That brown one looks like one you can cuddle
And that slick black one would surely be fun
Take your pick Honey; they’re really nice
Our bunnies are lovable as they get
Well, I’ve got to tell you the truth mister
I don’t think my pet python gives a shit!

This is 'bout a girl from just a while back
It's a grusome, sad story, I know
It begins where the sky is black
And the cold wind blows...
She's got looks to kill
And an attitude to match
She's lookin' for a thrill
Lookin' for a soul to snatch
A mind like a knife
She's sharp and she'll cut you
She can change your life
Nobody thinks like she do
Not one can out run her
She's quick as a whip
No magician could trick her
She'll just make your mind trip
Got some patched up jeans
And shorn off hair
She can act real mean
'Cause she just don't care
Got a heart of gold, she did all she could
Had lots of romance on the brain
She acts much older than she should
Because this girl knows real pain
Now she might look bad
She might look rough
But you forget to look beyond the mad
And see that she was decent enough
She's been through a lot
Thinks she's seen too much
So she gets to smokin' pot
And she's felt God's touch
She runs further from the law
And closer to the light
Harder drugs hide in her bra
She can't hold up this fight
Starts trippin' too hard
While she's runnin' from the cops
Her brain is being scarred
And her heart begins to stop
Her eyes are rolling back
And her world begins to spin
She's run right off the track
Her life is caving in
She sees the angels cry
As she walks up to the gate
She asks her Father, "Why?"
He tells her she must wait
Sex, Drugs, and Crime have one goal
And messing with that could cost you your soul
She plummets on back
To her body below
Where the sky is black
And the cold wind blows...
***PLEASE READ PART 2***

There is this thing …in me…that’s happening
Pulling at my strings…*****it’s exciting…I am tingling
Are you real or a figment of my imagination?
Is this a connection or just you know …A maybe encounter
I’m aware that you could break me, destroy me
But yet I still want it
It’s like I’m a teenager with my first crush
You consume me, you excite me I’m delighted
I don’t want to be that girl …that obsessed thing
I want to be that girl you know baby your girl
That’s crazy but
There is this thing…in me…that’s happening
Written 2006 for TA

Love ain't a feeling, its a state of being
So if you feel in love, you probably ain't.
The anger and frustration will build up
Lie to yourself and your bound to erupt
Hes greasy, hes slimy, hes lying
He laughs behind you back when your crying
You don't know how you got onto his ride
Who hurts a 'friend' when they are crying on the inside
Don't be surprised if your dreams never go away
At night it is all connected like a rape
Feels like we were together just today
Just think about your father and what he would say
How could you do the things you did?
How could you live with the things you hid?
It is okay to be alone sometimes
Life doesn't always have to be a lie
You sold your soul for a glass of wine
You lost your mind at a bad time
And now you don't even know who you are
But deep down I still know you are a star
I don't know if you ever told me the truth
You looked after me when I had a bad tooth
And then we had that crazy new years eve
That is when I knew it was meant to be
But the lies they build up and broke me down
Still I will never forget our time in Cape Town
When the trust is gone, the trust is gone
But the love lingers like a ghost

How much? A phrase so common
The worth a commodity should wear on.
But what else can give it that price tag
Than the present value it now has.
So unfortunate most girls don’t know how much they are
Displaying what ought to be covered
And giving it all on a platter
So men have no need to dig further.
Howling and moaning under leaves and branches
The lucky ones get the honor of a back seat.
Even most animals can’t get so low
How cheap they are, this goes to show.
Wished only you knew
How “your honeys” now see you.
You can no longer walk by tall as you used to
Now they have known all that it is about you.
Painted withered flowers blooming around
So breath-taking yet so sour
Fading the more they are used.
How much now are you?

A tattered, ragged leather bag
hides faded photos wrapped inside;
both black and white and kodachrome
reveal lost dreams once held with pride.
An older, colder man made weak,
by sojourns made so long ago,
has paid with shame a painful price
for bitter seeds he chose to sow.
Consumed by youthful avarice,
success became amoral lust
for things of want but never need;
a soulless loss of love and trust.
He cured his life in lurid greed
so strong it tore apart his soul
as truth imbued was flung aside
and grand illusions took control.
He chased the dragon of deceit
along with every reprobate
deluded by corruptions face
foresworn to conjure riches fate.
Today he stands a naked man
reflected in the full length glass
of one more sterile penthouse suite;
bath fixtures proud old polished brass.
He opens up that leather bag
to gaze upon the photos there;
a smiling girl is gazing back
with jade green eyes and skin so fair.
She wears a bridal dress of white,
her face aglow, adorned with life,
to greet a future purpose proud
this loving girl became his wife.
There standing next to his young bride
a man exudes pure confidence
to conquer all life's challenges
without the slightest reticence.
Her innocence he stole away
with no remorse for all the lies;
he watched her slide into despair
till one day in his arms she dies.
The ugliness he once concealed,
in time she knew each sordid part,
yet still he chased the dragon's bait
until, at last, he broke her heart.
Next to a picture of his bride
a small revolver lies in wait;
he picks it up and fires inside
a mind that found the truth too late.